JAMF wants Apple resellers with golden touch

Apple device management vendor JAMF looking for 10 new resellers following programme update that sees Gold tier introduced

Apple device management vendor JAMF Software claims it is seeing a "really big adoption phase of Apple" as it launches a new partner programme featuring a Gold tier and hunts for 10 new resellers.

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Minnesota, JAMF provides software that allows Apple devices to be inventoried and collects data on their use in businesses.

Kieran O'Connor, JAMF's UK and Ireland sales manager, said he is witnessing a big upswing in Apple's use in the enterprise.

"The enterprise is no longer just a single-platform game," he said. "It was previously thought that only the marketing or creative department within a company used a Mac. We are now seeing C-level people coming into the office and saying 'we use a Mac at home, we want to use it as a work tool as well.'

"Right now in 2016 we are seeing a really big adoption phase whereby large enterprises are embracing the Apple movement."

JAMF has 30 certified EMEIA partners with 14 in the UK, and has launched a new partner programme that aims to differentiate the resellers which make big investments into JAMF.

O'Connor said JAMF's partner programme was previously split into two levels: Affiliate, which does not require any training or certification and the partner simply sells the software and lets JAMF do all the services; and Certified, which does require partners to become certified in the technology and they then install the software and deliver the services themselves.

Now JAMF has split the Certified level into a Gold and Silver tier. To become a Silver partner, resellers must hit sales of $50,000 (£36,000) per year and have a minimum of one certified technician. Gold partners have a revenue requirement of $100,000 per year and also have to have at least one technician.

Silver and Gold partners will both be able to use deal registration which offers them 10 per cent on their margin. On top of this, Silver partners will receive a discount of 15 per cent and Gold partners 20 per cent off the recommended retail price.

O'Connor said the programme changes were made to make sure the partners who put a lot into the vendor get the right benefits.

"We wanted to distinguish between the Certified partners," he said. "At the same time, we wanted to reward the larger partners that have spent a lot of time investing and delivering on the revenue side. We wanted to keep our Certified partners a little separate in terms of the investment they were making."

JAMF currently has four Gold and 10 Silver partners in the UK, and O'Connor said he hopes to attract 10 new Silver partners with the programme update.